


Sakura's Rinnegan (RinneganSakura)

by nyunyu, SmallPinkBird



Series: Sakura's Rinnegan [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: ANBU - Freeform, Action, Anbu Haruno Sakura, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Child Abuse, Danzo is fucked in the head, Dark, Dark Haruno Sakura, Dark Sakura Haruno, Evil Shimura Danzou, F/F, F/M, Gen, Haruno - Freeform, Haruno Sakura - Freeform, Haruno Sakura is So Done, Haruno Sakura x Uchiha Shisui, Haruno Sakura-centric, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multi, Mystery, OP Sakura, OP Sakura Haruno, Overpowered Sakura, Rinnegan, Rinnegan Sakura, Rinnegan User Sakura Haruno, Rinnegan User Uzumaki Naruto, Rinnegan!Sakura, Romance, Saisaku, Sakura - Freeform, Sakura Haruno - Freeform, Sakura Haruno x Shisui Uchiha, Sakura x Shisui - Freeform, SasuSaku - Freeform, Shimura Danzou Being an Asshole, Shisui Uchiha x Sakura Haruno - Freeform, Shisui x Sakura, Strong Haruno Sakura, Suspense, Thriller, Uchiha Shisui x Haruno Sakura - Freeform, dark sakura, douppo wasn't in her right mind when she wrote this, itasaku - Freeform, kakasaku - Freeform, overpowered Sakura Haruno, shisaku, slight ooc Shimura Danzo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:54:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27870337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyunyu/pseuds/nyunyu, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmallPinkBird/pseuds/SmallPinkBird
Summary: Haruno Sakura is born with the Rinnegan.The Rinnegan (輪廻眼, literally meaning: Saṃsāra Eye) is reputed as the most exalted eye amongst the "Three Great Dōjutsu", the others being the Sharingan and the Byakugan.It is said that in times of disorder, one who wields the Rinnegan is sent down from the heavens to become either a "God of Creation" who will calm the world or a "God of Destruction" who will reduce everything to nothingness.(Co-authored by the author of Sakura's Glasses, and Nyunyu.)
Relationships: Akatsuki/Haruno Sakura, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Haruno Sakura, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Hatake Kakashi, Gaara/Haruno Sakura, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura & Nagato | Pain, Haruno Sakura & Shimura Danzou, Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura/Nagato | Pain, Haruno Sakura/Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura/Shimura Danzou, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Madara, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Obito, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Shisui, Haruno Sakura/Yakushi Kabuto, Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino
Series: Sakura's Rinnegan [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040449
Comments: 96
Kudos: 245
Collections: Overpowered Sakura Haruno, The Many Iterations of Haruno Sakura





	1. Sakura's Rinnegan

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, please comment! We want to know how many people, if any, are reading/following this story. Thanks! Also we have the plotline planned from start to finish already.

CHAPTER 1

Haruno Sakura was born during a ruthless roar of a tempest. Lightning arced from the dark clouds converging overhead to strike the otherwise peaceful village below. The terrible storm mercilessly pummeled the marketplace, forcing desperate shopkeepers to hurriedly close their shops and flee before its wrath.

As if mimicking the oppressive atmosphere, she emerged to the world with a mighty **_howl_** , putting the thunderstorms to shame. 

Drenched in sweat, a shuddering mess, Haruno Mebuki came to embrace her newborn the moment she was presented before her in a flash. Holding her tiny baby close, secured, safe and sound within her arms, Mebuki beamed in earnest, her emotions overflowing with affection and gratitude. 

Then the baby came to peer up curiously, and the gratifying occasion grew to a halt. 

The new mother gazed upon what _shouldn’t_ be there — and responded with a harsh resounding scream of bodacious horror, successfully alerting the doctor and nurses nearby. 

All it took was one glance to mute them unmitigatedly. Eerie stillness thumped throughout the room before an unlimited uproar arrived to crash the silence. 

“ _Impossible—_ ”

“—not a myth?”

“—should alert Hokage-sama—”

Mebuki watched as each and every person tumbled, scattering everywhere as they would occasionally turn to look at her daughter as if—

_As if her newborn was a deity._

She trembled in trepidation. Forcing herself to gaze down at her baby who was clamorously wailing now, Mebuki felt her heart pang at the sight. Little Sakura was frightened, _distressed_ , by the sheer sound of cataclysm circulating on all sides. 

The room started to spin. She ignored her husband’s shouting and demands for an answer — even going as far as shaking the doctor’s coat — she shut all the noises out, closing her eyes down. 

She bit her lip until she tasted copper. Regarding the bundle in her arms, she was torn on whether to hold her tight or cast her away. ‘ _What does it mean?_ ’ She found herself wondering, unaware of her own hands pressing the baby deeper against her chest, efficiently lulling her to sleep. 

**_‘What’s going to happen to my baby?_** ’ 

“—tify the ANBU on patrol,” One of them insisted. 

“Should we risk it? What if Hokage-sama—”

“It’s not about whether we should or shouldn’t, we _mustn’t_ hide anything from him!” The doctor hissed, outraged and downright disturbed by the thought of betraying their leader. 

“...but how could this happen, Koushi-sensei? This is... this has to be a _miracle_ ,” 

Another round of silence launched across the room.

“The Haruno are civilians,” Someone began, a chart in one hand. The woman proceeded as though the aforementioned weren’t present. “Migrated from the Land of Iron 4 years ago, though not before staying with their relatives in Land of Rivers for a year and a half. They have other relatives in each of their respective domains, all civilians.”

“Clan affiliation?” 

“None.”

“ _Intriguing_ ,” The doctor marveled. 

It took Mebuki 15 seconds to register that **_Sakura wasn’t even snuggling in her cradle anymore._**

Oblivious of her current condition and what’s in store, little Sakura gurgled as the doctor cooed, appreciating the light touch on her left chubby cheek. The ineluctable fate settled on her tiny shoulders was conspicuous — to those who were aware of _what_ it was — a promise of a future of conquering the impossibilities. 

It was to be feared, yet there was no denying that the _eyes_ were a mystical gift from the heavens. 

(It just so happened that the ones who were in charge of delivering the newborn were retired _veterans_ who fought and shed blood on the battlefield. Those who learned, those who were familiar with the conjectural tale. 

Albeit no longer as competent as they used to, their knowledge had _never_ diminished.)

The nurses who held Kizashi by his arms to keep him from lashing out at the doctor didn’t break a sweat. Assuring him that it would be fine, that nothing would happen to their daughter. They said once the Hokage was informed, they would give their baby back to them, and they were all certain that Sakura would have a wonderful future. An adventurous one. 

Kizashi didn’t buy it and told them to fuck off. 

The two nurses exchanged a swift glance, nodding harmoniously before one injected him with sedative, and the other supported his weight while leaving to look for an unoccupied room close by, taking him out of the room.

By this point, Mebuki was hyperventilating. The urge to scream was overwhelmingly heavy. A desperate need to seek for help lathered her raw, simmering so furiously that she couldn’t help the tears rushing down. A part of her knew no one would be on her side, and yet, yet...

“ _Please_ ,” She cried out in pain. “Don’t take my daughter away from me!”

A sudden pause of tense silence filled the room, as the nurses at the back exchanged a dark look, but the doctor in front of her was smiling clinically. 

“Oh no no,” The doctor broke the silent atmosphere, shaking his head. With a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, he continued. “Rest assured, we treasure your daughter _dearly_. Hokage-sama would have to be in the loop first. And this is incredible, Haruno-san!” He spouted, tranquilly rocking her baby.

“The Rinnegan is said to be the most superior dojutsu of all. The evidence of its existence was tentative at best. As most civilians are in the dark, no one would blame you for your lack of understanding on this specific matter.”

“She will guide us into all truth!” He grinned, too occupied with his speech to be agitated by the noisy sound of veritable despair. “True peace is in the wind, and to think Kami chose us to be her protector for now, as she will be our savior one day. Who knows what would’ve happened had you resided in Kumo?” He grimaced. 

He beamed when Sakura perked up, cooing at him. It had to be an approval, and he idly wondered if she understood him. He wouldn’t dare to treat her normally, what with the oddity of her existence, or how did this tiny being came to own a former-chimerical dojustsu. He didn’t want to mess up, and he certainly _wouldn’t_ want to make her upset. 

Her slightly large eyes emitted innocence. The delicate purity of it all was permeable, lustrous with a glint of signification; and she didn’t seem to mind the unhinged blast of storms just outside the window. Most newborns would be alarmed and wailed their lungs out due to what they deemed anomalous. This one... she appeared _lullabied_. 

“Kumo would’ve done the unthinkable.” The nurse scoffed.

“Oh? That sounds personal,” his tone turned teasing.

“It’s irrelevant.” 

“You—” Then the atmosphere morphed into what one would consider forbidding, as three undetected presences came into view. 

Even though they were out of practice, it’s instinctual for the veteran medics. Each holding their choice of weapons hidden somewhere within. 

The masks placed on their face put them at immediate ease. 

“A-ANBU-san!” The doctor sputtered, hand on his chest to soothe the dread. 

One of the nurses exhaled shakily. “Of course they found out before we could directly broadcast the news,” She shook her head, pocketing her weapon back. 

A sudden thump of footsteps resonated across the place, a fourth presence more dominant than the rest. A deliberate, suffocating atmosphere entered the hospital room, meant to forcefully set the occupants’ knees on the ground to perceive the superiority of that specific individual before he even arrived. 

As the footsteps became harsher, drawing nearer, the frozen medics took a quick look at the ANBU who stood with their backs straight, unmoving and rooted to the spot, giving the impression that they _knew_ who the imposing figure was. 

“ANBU-san?” The nurse mouthed, growing uneasy over the lack of response and the impending threat looming closer. 

The ANBU who stood in the middle made a brief signal with his hand, before they all _moved_. 

In less than a second, the three ANBU slammed the three medics onto the ground, pinning them each from on top of their backs, kunai against their necks. The ANBU on top of the doctor had successfully wrested baby Sakura from the doctor’s hands. The ANBU agent held the blanket which cocooned baby Sakura, on one hand, while pinning the doctor to the floor with his legs, his other hand pressing a kunai to the doctor’s neck, just like a trained assassin, and a thief. 

In the next second, the door burst open.

And the dominating presence burst into the room, intensifying the atmosphere even more than before, in unison with the booming storm. Revealing none other than Shimura Danzo, current Captain-Commander of both ANBU and its subdivision called ROOT, and Advisor to the Hokage. 

Directly behind him, was a platoon of ROOT agents. 

“NO!” Mebuki screamed in horror at the sight of the medics she distrusted disabled by ANBU she distrusted even more. . 

“Be quiet.” Someone said.

“This is against the _law_ —” the doctor died as the ANBU sliced the kunai against the doctor’s neck. Everyone watched in horror. 

“Danzo-sama,” The three ANBU greeted synchronically, as though nothing had happened, as Danzo stepped toward them.

Danzo faced Mebuki. Mebuki trembled in fear.

“Please…” She sobbed, her vision blurry as she reached her arms out toward the bundle of blankets held by the ANBU agent across the room. “Not my daughter, please—”

“ _Your_ daughter?” There was lilt to his raspy, deep voice, a smile to his face, as though Shimura Danzo found this greatly amusing. An aloofness, as though he were humoring her, when he didn’t have to, when Mebuki Hauno was a disabled post-labor mother on her bed. “You mean _my_ daughter.” 

Mebuki felt the blood in her veins run cold. She felt herself paralyzed, and wasn’t sure whether it was out of the impact of his bold statement, the unbelievability and absurdity of it, or his raw and overwhelming killing intent that’s been looming amongst the room for a good five minutes. She forced herself to speak. 

“W- What did you just say? W-Wait! Don’t touch her!” 

The ANBU agent who had killed the doctor, had freed his baggage; dangling the baby by the blankets, the masked agent handed the baby over to Danzo. 

Even Danzo’s revealed eye was wide, as he dropped his cane, like the prop it was to garner Sarutobi’s sympathy, to free both his arms— and slowly took the baby into his arms, like it was made of gold, porcelain, as though it could break, shatter, or disappear at any moment. 

Danzo held the baby very gently, as though it were his own, as he tilted her head to look into her purple-ringed eyes. The baby stared back, curiously, unperturbed.

“Fascinating…” He marvelled at her eyes. “To think I would live the day to see the Rinnegan. How very fortunate,” Danzo turned his head toward Mebuki. “How very much a _miracle_ , _what_ you’ve given birth to, Mebuki-san.” 

Thoroughly disturbed, Mebuki reiterated— “Whoever you are, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never wanted to be involved in any of that ninja mess! Just give me my baby back. ”

“You and I know very well that that’s not an option, Mebuki-san,” Danzo said, waving a female ANBU agent from the back over. She came in front of Mebuki, and handed a stack of papers with a pen to the new mother. “Sign these papers, or I’ll make you forget all of this ever happened.” 

Mebuki could barely read them, could barely gather what they were, but she did— “They’re adopti— I would NEVER.” Mebuki screamed. “I will fight you, in court, in politics, in everything to keep my baby, away from your vile hands! _Haruno_ Sakura is legally mine, and Kizashi’s.”

“Speaking of Kizashi, where has he been?” Danzo smirked, and Mebuki’s blood ran cold, wondering, _where has her husband gone in all the noise???_

“Returning to what I was saying,” Danzo continued, he was giving her an option. “Who would you choose, if left with two options of who will live? A husband that you’ve been together with for years, or a daughter you knew less than five minutes?” 

Mebuki was shocked speechless. But then, cold fury swept through her shivering mess of a body. She was disabled utterly, but sheer willpower moved her body from her bed, her hospital bed, as she stumbled out of the blankets onto the floor. She smacked her forehead across the floor, blood pouring out all around her undergarments, her stitches opening up as blood made a mess. 

Danzo took a step back, looking down at her cynically, cooly. 

Mebuki wailed in extreme pain but no doctors, no nurses were coming in to help, as all the machinery and life support medical equipment were beeping wildly and mechanically. 

The smile left Danzo’s face, as though reminded of something. His eyebrows furrowed… As though he was reminded of a dead friend, from the warring days. 

He frowned and clenched the baby tighter, strained, before he opened his eyes, as though resolving himself once again. He crouched down, looking sympathetic, then said in a gentle, low tone, “You can always try again.” 

“YOU—” It took Mebuki a second to process his words, and what they meant; he was implying for her to try to give birth to another daughter in the future?? 

“Who knows...I may even help you.” 

“YOU VILE— MONSTER—” 

“It’s an _option_ , depending on whether Kizashi gets himself out of the picture, with his more... impulsive antics, and recklessness.” Mebuki SPAT at his face from the ground where she was in, despite all the pain. Danzo felt the saliva slide down his chin, and only stonely picked himself up, baby bundle in arm, and walked away. “It was your choice.” 

The next thing Mebuki knew, three ANBU agents pinned her down, despite that she was already disabled and heavily injured on the hospital floor. And one of them, blonde, held a hand over her forehead, before she could struggle out of their fierce grip. And suddenly, she was _forgetting_. Forgetting everything that had just transpired, as her conscious world went black. 

She was being given _amnesia_. In fact, the Yamanaka branch of ROOT worked to erase the memories of every staff member, and civilian, and non-ROOT in the hospital. 

Meanwhile, Shimura Danzo, and his platoon of ROOT, left the hospital. They had taken the baby. 

There was also no paper trial or record that the Harunos were ever at the hospital, on March 28th. 

————————-

That night, news spread across the village of Konoha, that Danzo had finally gotten laid, with a village woman who wished to remain anonymous, and she had given birth to a baby girl. There were also rumors that, that same night, the woman died at childbirth, leaving Danzo as a single father. 

For the first time in a long time, people felt sympathetic for Danzo. 

Danzo even held a small funeral for his deceased “wife.” The wife was a ROOT Agent. At the funeral, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood beside Danzo looking mournful and said, “I wouldn’t imagine…how it feels to lose Biwako, my wife.” 

Danzo side-eyed Hiruzen. “Old friend, I hope you finally understand now, this is why I do everything that I do.” 

Softly, Hiruzen gazed at Danzo in the eyes. “I do, Danzo, I do.” 

That night, Hiruzen gave Danzo two weeks vacation off ANBU and Advisor duties, to mourn his wife, and take care of his newborn. Hiruzen already had three kids of his own, and had always assumed that Danzo would never have children of his own. However, defying all of Hiruzen’s assumptions, Danzo had actually fallen in love and gave birth to a baby girl, only for his wife to die. A pang of pain and sympathy ran through Hiruzen’s body, as he mourned for his old friend, who had given so much, sacrificed so much for Konohagakure. Part of him felt that, comparing the sacrifices the two of them made, that Danzo deserved to be Hokage more than he himself did. However, Hiruzen would never say that. Danzo’s role was to be in the Shadows, because no one else would do it. 

So with some appreciative look, Hiruzen thanked Danzo and left the funeral. 

Danzo smirked and ended the funeral, telling the ROOT impersonating as old friends to scatter and leave. 

Danzo returned home, with baby Sakura, and on his way back to his ROOT HQ where he lived, he bought a book on how to raise infants. He also purchased baby formula. 

It was...interesting. How for the first time, Danzo was playing the role of _family_. 

As soon as he got home, he removed the seal on Sakura’s eyes, and they turned from the fake green into purple eyes. “Still here, still good,” Danzo confirmed. 

He briefly wondered whether he should confess to Hiruzen about the emergence of the Rinnegan, which had never been seen on Earth since the era of the Sage of Six Paths, and even that was just a legend. But he knew that Hiruzen would investigate, and uncover what he had done. And besides, looking at it in a specific way, he could treat this phenomenon as ‘just superpowered eyes,’ another tool in his arsenal, like how the Uchiha waved their Mangekyou Sharingan. And why would he share his tools with the old, senile, weak goat? 

“But I do wonder about this phenomenon.. What could have possibly triggered the Rinnegan’s awakening, from a civilian bloodline.” 

From within his arms, Baby Sakura tried to tug on his garment, snapping him out of his thoughts. Danzo frowned at her brazenness. 

“It is said that in times of disorder, one who wields the Rinnegan is sent down from the heavens to become either a ‘God of Creation,’ who will calm the world, or a ‘God of Destruction,’ who will reduce everything to nothingness,” Danzo told the baby. “Yet, I can kill you in an instant, _Deity or not_.” 

Danzo’s scars stretched as he made an expression. “No matter what triggered your eyes, whether by a God or sheer blind fate— your eyes are in my hands. They’re merely _eyes_ , ato be used as a tool, for me. Just as they say the Mangekyou Sharingan are the eyes of a demon, but Shisui is just a child, a tool to be used. I shouldn’t hesitate. I should just take them,” he hovered his palm over the baby’s small eyes. 

They were so tiny, her head was so tiny, her skin was so soft, her fingers were small and chubby like flower petals, or kitten paws. 

Baby Sakura even tilted her head upward at him, and stared at him at this point, observing keenly far beyond her years. She wasn’t crying, she wasn’t protesting, she just stared, her mouth turned into O shaped. 

“Well, I can’t use these anyway.

“Ah, perhaps when you grow older, when your eyes grow to an _adequate_ size, they’ll fit in my sockets better than...Mangekyou Sharingan.” He hummed, telling himself. “I’ll raise you well, and teach you well, my daughter… Shimura Sakura.” 

——--

Five months later, Mebuki Haruno and Kizashi Haruno would die in a caravan accident. There was not a trace of suspicion around their deaths. Civilians died by accidents all the time. And no one had the manpower to investigate, because shortly afterwards, the Kyuubi attack broke out and half the village and the village’s shinobi forces were wiped out. 

——---

And when Sakura Shimura was just a toddler, Danzo Shimura called the toddler to crawl over to him, and said, “You’re old enough to be trained as a ROOT ninja now...and sole heir to the Shimura Clan.” 

————————————- 

END OF CHAPTER 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading.
> 
> Please comment! We want to know how many people, if any, are reading/following this story. Thanks! Also we have the plotline planned from start to finish already.


	2. Danzo's Daughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Child abuse, feel free to skip this chapter if you can't take reading it. You won't miss out on the plot; that's next chapter.
> 
> Author Note: Optional Reading, just answering this reader's question. Readers who don't care, feel free to skip to the story.
> 
> Question: "Shouldn't Minato have been Hokage when Sakura was born?"
> 
> Short Answer: Not necessarily. In this story, Hiruzen is still Hokage when Sakura is born, but is retiring and appointing Minato as Hokage. Minato is Hokage for less than 7 months until Naruto's birthday, in which he dies.
> 
> Long Answer:
> 
> This DOES work with canon timelines actually, because Kishimoto was never clear when specifically Minato became Hokage. Sakura could have been born shortly after the war, while Obito is still training with Madara. Minato was never made Hokage straight immediately after the war (it was anime filler.)
> 
> Due to Kishimoto's unclear Naruto timeline, especially surrounding the events of when Minato became Hokage and when Orochimaru left the village, we are going to go with Minato being made Hokage shortly after Sakura was born (and dying 7 months later, when Naruto is born.)
> 
> There are some sources that Minato has been Hokage for less than a year.
> 
> It makes sense canonically that Sakura was born shortly after the 3rd shinobi war ended, while Obito was still training with Madara. Obito will attack Konoha 7 months after Sakura's birth; since in canon, Sakura's birthday is on March 23rd, and Naruto's birthday is on October 10th.
> 
> For Chapter 1 to make sense with canon, let's say Hiruzen was still Hokage, but is retiring, and Minato is going to be Hokage for less than 7 months until Naruto is born.
> 
> And, there are sources that reveal Orochimaru left Konoha 3 years after Naruto was born.
> 
> So, I hope that clears up some things. You don't have to memorize or understand all this timeline stuff, just read or enjoy the story :)
> 
> (Also, trigger warning at the bottom note.)

* * *

SAKURA'S RINNEGAN FANART:

(Disclaimer: Obviously this doesn't happen, since Sakura was already born with Rinnegan. I just liked the Rinnegan!Sakura Art concept.)

* * *

—- CHAPTER 2.—-

* * *

(´ﾟдﾟ`)

* * *

**Previously:**

And when Sakura Shimura was just a toddler, Danzo Shimura called the toddler to crawl over to him, and said, "You're old enough to be trained as a ROOT ninja now...and sole heir to the Shimura Clan."

**Now:**

* * *

"We have a meeting with Lord Orochimaru today," Danzo informed Sakura, who was just a few months old. "In the meantime, I will train you."

He carried his daughter to the ROOT underground base, to the training dojo.

First, he tried having her learn to walk on her own two feet; but it was quite difficult. She only knew how to crawl on all fours, or slide around the floor.

" _Tsk_ , you need to grow up faster if you want to be useful, Sakura." He chided gently. He was growing fond of his daughter, though.

Who wouldn't? After months of milk-feeding the pink-haired baby, tucking her to sleep, only to be awakened in the middle of the night by the baby's crying for affection and attention. Ever since the war, no one dared wake him up, even during emergencies (unless it was a village emergency concerning a potential looming war.)

To think he of _all_ people actually had known how to be a parent; he had read some books about child care. It was absurdly unimaginable, that he himself would call it a fiction.

(During his younger days, before Hiruzen was even crowned Hokage, Danzo had loved a girl, once. He had considered becoming a father, once.

However, that girl was killed in battle, and not too long afterwards, his sensei was killed in battle too… after crowning Hiruzen as Hokage.

Danzo had lost everything; no parents, no significant other, no sensei, and _no_ Hokage position— even that had been given to his rival, Hiruzen, because Danzo had lost the test of bravery and displayed himself incapable of being willing to sacrifice his life to protect his comrades; he was trying to force himself to, but hesitated for too long, and then realized that he was _relieved_ during that moment that Hiruzen volunteered instead.

He had shown not only himself, but Tobirama-sensei that he was a coward, during his final interaction with Tobirama.

He decided at that moment, that he would dedicate his entire life to protecting Konoha, no matter what.

If he couldn't be the star like Hiruzen, he would be the darkness that enshrouded Konoha's enemies, the darkness that would choke the oxygen out of the fire within their core, suffocating them, all to keep _Konoha's_ stars burning brightly.)

He would be the roots that support the leaves, in the darkness. A true shinobi.

Danzo mused as he scanned the nutrition facts of the bag of milk. He'd gone _shopping_ , and impressed the villagers, even the shinobi, whenever he went window shopping for his daughter.

Everyone loved how he was the perfect single father. Multiple women even approached him wanting to flirt with him — and wasn't that revolting — but he was disinterested, which seemed to encourage them even more; Danzo was truly a doting father who didn't, and wouldn't seek a new wife.

After arriving at the Root training dojo with Sakura, Danzo continued trying to teach her to walk.

There was a knock on the door. He extended out his chakra and sensed that it was the correct chakra signature; it was the same dark type as his own: Orochimaru's.

"Come in."

Orochimaru walked inside, serenely. He wore a kimono and had straight, silky, black hair, and pale, sickly white skin.

"Greetings, Danzo-sama." Orochimaru inclined his head, and smiled, long, snake-like tongue licking his pale lips.

"Welcome to Root, Orochimaru." Danzo greeted. Orochimaru was not officially a Root shinobi, but an ally of Root.

Orochimaru was Hiruzen's student and reported to Danzo about Hiruzen's actions. They had a quid pro quo deal going on. Danzo would supply Orochimaru with corpses, as well as live bodies of human children, some of them kidnapped from Konoha, others kidnapped from outside of Konoha. In return, Orochimaru would assist Danzo with his medical ninjutsu and scientific enterprise. The two of them would also share intel about Konoha's politics, the Hokage's decisions, and the decisions of the Council, which Danzo was a part of.

Orochimaru was a non-Root Konoha shinobi, but still an ally of Root. Danzo hoped he could keep this partnership for as long as possible, Orochimaru was a valuable asset. Of course, if Orochimaru got found out by Sarutobi, Danzo would have to cut all ties with Orochimaru and remove all traces of any connection to the man.

(After all, Danzo had a council position to maintain, and he'd be damned before he let Orochimaru drag him under when Orochimaru inevitably sinked.)

Currently, the two of them had the most useful partnership, and Danzo was slowly positioning the strings for Orochimaru to become Hokage. Unfortunately, Namikaze Minato came out more _famous_ , from the war, than Orochimaru, despite how Orochimaru had lost the most to war.

Danzo still had a plan to get Orochimaru the Hokage seat, and even if that didn't work, Danzo could _make_ himself the Hokage. Danzo knew Hiruzen had plans to retire, but surely there was no way Hiruzen would choose Minato as his successor, over Hiruzen's own student or Hiruzen's lifelong teammate, was there?

With these reassurances in mind, Danzo smiled at Orochimaru and asked, "Tell me, Orochimaru, how are the experiments going?"

Orochimaru beamed, his eyes gleaming. "They're going swell, unlike the last catastrophic experimental attempt to implant Hashirama cells into the 60 babies to grant them Wood Release…" Orochimaru looked pointedly at Danzo, like he was blaming him for that laboratory disaster, before continuing with a snake's smile. "I may have discovered a path toward immortality!" Then, he looked at Danzo with condescending eyes.

"That's what you should have been researching from the start; immortality. Your obsession with your sensei's brother, Senju Hashirama, won't grant you eternal life; even he had died. I shouldn't have toyed with those cells. They're useless. They don't work."

"Don't be a fool, Orochimaru. You know they work, you're the one who proved to me what they could do when you restored my missing arm with an arm made of Hashirama's cells. My right arm feels extremely powerful, and vitalized, more so than my original. I just know Wood Release is within my reach."

"And it didn't work." Orochimaru rolled his eyes at Danzo. "Now we have 60 _dead_ babies to dispose of… And don't make me do it, I'll be a fool to get caught by the authorities for conducting _your_ illegal experiments. I'll leave you to dispose of them. Here's the address to the hideout where the babies, which may have grown now, are in tanks." Orochimaru handed Danzo a scroll with the address. "Apologies in advance to your Root agents for the... _rot_. I left the bodies there for a few years unsupervised."

Danzo made a grim line with his mouth. "That will be alright, Orochimaru."

"Have fun disposing of dead babies," Orochimaru sneered. His yellow eyes finally flickered toward the bundle of blankets held in Danzo's arms, where little Sakura was. "This baby…"

Danzo angled Sakura, and woke her up from her nap. She opened her eyes, revealing purple, concentric eyes.

Orochimaru gasped, blindsided and shocked. This baby's eyes… even Orochimaru had heard legends about them; he had read ancient books about them. They were the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, the founder of ninjutsu, the _true_ God of Shinobi.

"I didn't even know that the Rinnegan still exists. How did a scoundrel such as yourself get your hands on it?"

Orochimaru never knew he would be seeing these eyes, on the body of a baby, much less a baby held within Danzo's arms. Orochimaru had heard that Danzo had a daughter, but is that _truly_ his daughter?

He called bull on that one. 

It was way too good to be true. Even if a God were to be born in this world, for that God to be the offspring of _someone like Danzo_ , the scummiest of all scums? Hah, it was almost as blasmphemous as Orochimaru himself giving birth (in a female body he took,) to a kid with Rinnegan. It was scientifically impossible (he didn't have the genes for it,) and even if there was divine intervention, even if God existed, _God wouldn't choose him_. God wouldn't choose Orochimaru to spawn a Rinnegan child, and Danzo was just as bad as him, if not worse.

"How very curious!" Orochimaru exclaimed at Sakura, clasping his hands in delight. How badly Orochimaru wanted to pause his immortality research, to find out just how _this_ marvel came to be.

"This is my daughter, Shimura Sakura. Sakura-chan, meet your Godfather, Orochimaru." Danzo supplied. Sakura waved her chubby little fingers at Orochimaru. Orochimaru stared at her in fascination.

"This is my first time seeing her. Once again, I never expected that — your daughter, has the— the eyes. The _Rinnegan._ " Orochimaru was transfixed, and fascinated. "Is your— is your meeting with me today, to let me experiment on … the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths?"

"No, Orochimaru. We may be lifelong allies, but I have plans for her. Maybe after the plans are fulfilled, I would consider handing her over to you; only after you've proven yourself _reliable_ for even longer."

"How much longer?"

"Maybe 35 years."

Orochimaru frowned, but decided that he could wait. That amount of time was only a blip of a second once he attained eternal life.

"Fine then. May I hold her?" Orochimaru stuck his tongue out, drooling estactically.

"No." Danzo shook his head. "I said what I said. And I know you will try something."

Orochimaru sighed dramatically. "Such a stubborn old coot. You know you can't refuse me once I'm Hokage, Danzo-sama."

Danzo smiled ruefully. "That's what this meeting is about. We are to plan our next course of action to convince Hiruzen to recommend you as his successor."

Orochimaru opened his mouth, excited when—

Suddenly, a Root agent appeared in front of the both of them.

"Lord Danzo," the masked agent said, kneeling. "I have bad news for you. "Namikaze Minato's inauguration is tomorrow. He's been crowned Hokage."

It took a second, but **cold rage** ran through Danzo's body. Almost simultaneously, **cold rage** ran through Orochimaru's body too. They looked at each other, eye contact with cold, yet furious eyes.

Suddenly, they both drowned the room in killing intent, cowering the Root shinobi even lower upon his knees, and turning his face white. Within seconds, the Root shinobi was gasping for air, hyperventilating on the floor, unable to breathe.

The two shinobi legends then took a look at Baby Sakura, who was wide-eyed and, frozen, and stone-cold.

Immediately, they both retracted their killing intent before the baby suffocates.

Danzo, however, was mad. All his hard work, all his strings and politics pulled to position Orochimaru for Kage, thrown out the window because of Sarutobi's favoritism against his own student, Sarutobi's fakeness.

Orochimaru was equally enraged, falsely led by blind promises from Sarutobi. Why else had he worked so hard for Konoha, only to lose to a 20 year old student of His dumbest teammate?

"Leave now!" Pissed off, Danzo threw a kunai at the ROOT Agent. The kunai cut an inch into the Root agent's chest, rupturing something without killing him, and the Root agent gasps and runs out of the room.

Then Danzo directed his eyes at Sakura, who had rolled onto the floor and is now crawling around his feet.

Suddenly, Danzo grabbed her by her collar and held her up. " ** _You_** ," He snarled.

"Aren't _you_ supposed to be a deity?"

Orochimaru stared wide eyed, not expecting this development. "Uhh… Lord Danzo."

" **Get out.** " Danzo turned furious at Orochimaru.

"Yes sir, yes Danzo-sama," frazzled and excited, Orochimaru eagerly exited the room. But he did not truly leave; he dipped into an inner breach of the corridor, and remained there, hidden. Orochimaru tried hard to eavesdrop. He even summoned a small, white snake and had the snake slither closer to the room he had just left, to continue monitoring the situation.

Like a predator, he was hungry watching what happened to the baby.

After grabbing his cane, Danzo turned Sakura upside down, holding her up by her ankle.

“Kill _him_ ,” Danzo hissed. The order fell unclear, a hushed, vindictive tone. Promises of vengeance perfected the depth of his resentment. 

She gifted him nothing but a clueless, unknowing stare, and it only served as an additional boost.

She was dangling her whole body off the ankle now. Struggled under his vice-like grip.

Sakura, never having spoken her first words before, unsure of the concerns and happenings of the world, stayed silent. The only instinctual tears pouring from her eyes, rolling past her forehead onto the ground.

It happened before she could blink.

She wailed as he whipped the cane against her stomach. He repeated his words, an order after an order. The name that triggered his anger kept on flowing out of his mouth. The object was everywhere, striking upon her tiny form. 

It was done without the intent to kill, replaced with a firm purpose to harm, and yet it had the potential to _cripple_ her for life. 

Fresh blood dripped on the floor. She was… almost unmoving. Breathing too slow, too shattered to whine. 

"K— K—" Sakura choked out blood and her eyes rolled backwards on her head. It looked like Sakura, barely a few months old, had passed out cold. Danzo heard a few cracks, and wondered whether he had gone too far, and broke bones.

Danzo heaved a sigh, gasping for breath. Gently, he laid her upon the ground. "NONO! SUMMON NONO!" He called into a loudspeaker.

(Hidden, Orochimaru spied the Root Agent, Nono Yakushi, from the other end of the building making her way to him, and watched her run into the dojo where Danzo had called her to.)

Nono Yakushi came into the room, and kneeled. "Yes, Danzo-sama?"

"Heal my daughter."

Nono Yakushi peered through her light brown bangs, to see Sakura laying out cold on the floor, in the pile of her own blood. Nono felt her own blood run cold. Within moments, she was instantly sitting in front of the toddler, healing chakra forced upon her hands, pressed onto Sakura's chest.

She healed all of Sakura's bruises, bleeding, and wounds. During the entire time of healing, she wondered whether it was Danzo who abused her. Like a mother's instinct, she opened her mouth to question him. "This girl is just a _baby_. You can't be training them this young, you usually wait until they're at least _three_. How did she—"

Suddenly, the body was dragged forcefully away from Nono. She instinctively reached out, but was met with Danzo's cane smacking her on her hands. Nono recoiled, eyes wide behind her round glasses.

"Don't question your leader," Danzo said, holding Sakura up by her ankle again. "Remember your place, young ROOT operative. Who is funding your orphanage? Who is keeping your son fed? Who could cut all that off?"

Nono swallowed and stayed silent.

Danzo smiled, and resumed beating Sakura up with his cane, muttering "Kill Minato," over and over again.

(Danzo avoided hitting Sakura's head. He didn't want to cause brain damage because that would make her useless when she grew old enough to be a Root operative; his Yamanaka healers were not skilled enough to heal head trauma, and neither were Konoha's brain surgeons— they'd also ask far too many questions. The body however…could always be healed by his Root medics, such as his best one, Nono Yakushi. Thus, Danzo resumed his physical abuse. )

Sakura cried endlessly, in the sea of pain, of white and blindness. She was unable to predict where the cane went. She was completely, mentally broken. To have all the bones in her body broken, to have the her skin on all her body parts cracked open and bleeding from the beatings of Danzo's cane, only for the Root medic to _**heal**_ all her wounds, only for Danzo to start over again — it wasn't just physical, but mental torture. She was only one month old!

After hours of crying, all her tears had dried. No matter how much damage Danzo continued inflicting upon her freshly-healed-by-Nono body each time, tears would not come out of Sakura's blank eyes.

She was like a lifeless doll that Danzo held onto and beat; like a literal puppet. Eventually, Danzo grew bored.

"Heal her up, Nono," Danzo said, setting Sakura on the ground before her. Sakura tried to stand, but fell straight on her face, but didn't even make a sound at the clang.

Nono had eyebags under her eyes, and her own heart had gone black with guilt, constantly regretting not fighting Danzo hard enough. Upon being told that this was the final healing, Nono completely healed Sakura's body until there was no evidence of any abuse there.

"That's it now, Nono," Danzo said, staring at her with black eyes. "I see you're out of chakra. I'll deposit 10,000,000 ryo on your orphanage's bank account tomorrow. You can go home, and take two weeks off from ROOT. Look...after your son," Danzo's last words sounded less like empathy and more like warning. _You know what happens to Kabuto if you tell anyone._

Nono bowed her head low, for a long second, before she turned to leave. As she was walking out of the room, she took one last look at Sakura, who was still laying on the ground, wordlessly and silently, staring at the ceiling.

Perhaps she should — take Sakura to the orphanage — Sakura and Kabuto could be siblings —

Nono reached outwards, toward Sakura's completely healed body. Even though Sakura was completely healed, to Nono, it looked as though Sakura was still completely covered in blood. Nono blinked rapidly, knowing that she was hallucinating; Danzo hasn't touched Sakura since the beating session was over.

Nono wondered whether she could live with this, seeing Sakura around the orphanage, as a constant reminder of gore and death. However, Nono felt obligated toward Sakura, as she healed Sakura at least twenty times tonight, she felt she developed a strong bond to the baby.

However, at the same time, Nono had PTSD whenever she looked at Sakura. And at the same time, Sakura wasn't an orphan; Sakura was Danzo's daughter.

Nono felt her blood run cold, watching Danzo place his hands underneath Sakura's armpits and hold her up, forcing Sakura to stand.

Sakura was barely a few months old, her muscles weren't developed to stand on her two feet. She was still a crawler.

Sakura fell flat on her face.

"What are you waiting for, Nono?" Danzo asked, without turning his back to look at her. "You're free to go home. Hadn't your past services at Root, earned you the privileges of owning your own home, the orphanage? Cash in on that. See to your children." Danzo's mouth was set to a grim line. " Unless you want to continue living at the ROOT base. If no one takes care of your orphanage, Root will have to claim all the children."

"Yes sir," Nono said quickly, bowed her head low and instantly disappeared.

From the corridor, Orochimaru watched Nono scurry past and leave the Root hideout.

Smirking in fascination, Orochimaru whispered, "How very interesting…" and stepped out of his hiding place, leaving the Root hideout as well. Orochimaru found the Yakushi's arrangement with Danzo a compelling story. Although, it was nothing he'd do anything about, he still had a partnership with Danzo.

"Still, Danzo, your style upon your followers is blackmail. My style upon my followers is fanatical worship. We are very different people." Orochimaru concluded, as he fully left the Root hideout. He can't stay for the entire beating, as much as he enjoyed it; he had experiments and research to do.

Left alone with Sakura, Danzo said, "I was tired of seeing that stupid smile constantly. This blank expression is more like it. You will grow up to be the _ideal shinobi._ "

Sakura blankly stared back at Danzo, and parted her mouth.

"D—"

Danzo smiled, and carried Sakura out of their exclusive training room. He walked across the corridor, to the other end of the Root underground building, into the kitchen. From there, Danzo changed Sakura's bloody diaper. Once he was done, he prepared baby milk formula for Sakura.

He gave a bottle of milk to Sakura, and Sakura took the milk blankly. Her eyes widened at the milk, switching back and forth between Danzo and the milk bottle in her hands. Sakura gaped, and put the bottle nipple into her mouth, and started drinking the milk desperately. She was extremely hungry due to the strain upon her body.

Danzo placed Sakura on his lap, as he took a seat in a chair.

Danzo smiled and hummed lowly to Sakura, an old Konoha war song that Tobirama had passed onto him.

Sakura sucked the milk bottle dry, and Danzo took the milk and refilled it with more milk formula.

She accepted the milk and drank, while staring at him, wondering what Danzo was going to do next. Feeling full, Sakura gave the milk bottle back to Danzo.

Danzo took the milk bottle back, set it aside.

Suddenly, an idea came into his mind—from all this child caring—a _fatherly_ idea. Danzo softened his voice, and cooed gently, his fingers combing through Sakura's tiny pink hairs on her head.

"Say dad-dy," Danzo said. Sakura had never said her first word before. He wanted to hear his daughter's first words. "Daddy Danzo-sama. Danzo-otou-sama. Otou-sama. Say daddy."

Sakura stared back at Danzo quizzically, Rinnegan eyes wide and lilac.

She swallowed, and opened her mouth.

"K-Kill Minato!"

Ironically, Sakura's first words were kill Minato, and ironically, months later, Minato would actually perish.

...

When that happened months later, a shocked Danzo would be rattled for a while, paranoid and suspicious and careful with Sakura, no longer abusing her with a cane. In fact, he stopped physically abusing her outside of training, and started buying her gifts, spoiling her as much like a doting father as he could.. and hoping she didn't remember. " _Those residual scars on your body? You were born like that. Now, how about some fancy, expensive food, and fancy, expensive clothes?"_

(However, that peace won't last forever; it won't be long before Danzo chalked it up to just coincidence, and acted like his natural self again instead of tiptoeing on eggshells regarding Sakura. His treatment of Sakura was both hot and cold.)

* * *

(´ﾟдﾟ`)

* * *

Later on, people would wonder why Sakura acted so emotionless, why she never cried. It was because long ago, her tears dried up.

Danzo had somehow found a permanent solution to stop the baby crying at night; by killing her emotions before she even developed them.

Later on, in the future, when Uzumaki Naruto becomes a Hero, Konoha would wonder how badly the ignorant villagers beat up Naruto for being the Kyuubi host, and sympathize.

They never wonder how badly Sakura was beaten; no, she was the _spoiled princess_ of Danzo Shimura, Council Advisor and leader of Root; she was the _heartless_ , arrogant princess who never feels sympathy or emotions for others. They would not even consider Sakura as one of Root's dogs, but Lord Danzo's trophy daughter served by Root's dogs.

And they would be half-right.

* * *

(´ﾟдﾟ`)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: Heavy chapter. Don't worry, things will get better. Comment your thoughts or if you liked or hated it! Thanks :(
> 
> (Warning: If you're a parent, this doesn't work in real life. It's child abuse and atrocious; do not hit children. They would grow up with lifelong disabilities, and you'd end up in jail.
> 
> My uncle-in-law actually held his 5-year-old step-son up by his ankle and beat him with his cane, whenever he misbehaved. That child is now 30, and he has some serious disabilities. Abuse is never the answer, folks.
> 
> I feel bad not doing anything, but this all happened before I was born. If you ever see child abuse, don't just let it happen; report it.)
> 
> Also, a question to you readers: If you could, how would Danzo be punished?


	3. Inner Sakura, the Oni

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! I hope everyone's enjoying their week off vacation, if you have one. NO trigger warnings for this chapter, because it's going to be tame, but fascinating. 
> 
> Inner Sakura Oni - Chapter Word Count: 3440!
> 
> (P.S. Want a discord ping whenever there's a new chapter? Join https://discord.gg/Aj2nVaJ )

Sakura's Rinnegan, Chapter 3: Inner Sakura, the Oni 

* * *

**_Pain_**. 

Hot, searing pain that burned all her nerves. 

The complete, pitch-black darkness, and the complete loss of thinking. She was dead to the world, her cries of pain hadn’t once deterred _his_ wrath. Unresponsive, thoroughly _benumbed_. 

It hadn’t been a year since her emergence. The act of verbalizing her thoughts, to express her agony, were out of her reach in every way. 

However, she _knew_ exactly what she was thinking. The workings of her thought process inside the marginally developed mind was far more progressive, and none of it was a coincidence. Even if only by visual imagery, she more or less understood.

She noticed that the man— and he was a very familiar figure, _hated_ her. If he didn’t, why did he beat her up? Why didn’t he stop when she was crying? 

_Why did he punish her so much?_

Sakura felt fear throughout all the pain. She wondered when all the pain would end— _perhaps never_? 

Her heart and head clenched in agony. Her body and all her nerves felt like frying. Sakura tried to consider all the ways to suppress this endless pain, although, being upside-down and constantly taking beatings, Sakura found it quite difficult to focus her thoughts.

She needed either this man to stop, or someone to save her. 

_No._

She _had_ to escape from it, but she didn’t— _how_ was she supposed to stop him?

She screamed into the void, head-splitting, ringing in her own ears. When she opened her eyes, all she could see was fresh salt water from her tears rolling up her forehead toward the ground above her line of vision. 

Then, like magic, the pain was no more and it was… **bliss**. Each part of her muscles reenergized, all the damage being reversed, and a new energy flooded her very being, strengthened, _restored_ her to the hilt. 

Apparently, someone had come to a rescue. To patch her up, healing her altogether. 

She found peace. 

Abruptly, the gnawing fear came back to life. Despite how much she wanted to relish and enjoy it, she was terrified to get too complacent. 

_What if **it** happened again?_

She focused as much as possible on the pleasant feeling the woman gave her. She could feel this foreign force of energy hitting certain parts of her body, the way her bones melded together, and how her cells regenerated. 

When the woman removed her hands, Sakura let out a small sob. 

Immediately, Danzo lifted her upside down by her foot again, and the beatings _resumed_. 

She felt betrayed. She hadn’t been able to learn _anything_. She tried her best to mimic the woman’s work, but all she could feel was the frightfully familiar form of torture forced upon her. 

The process repeated ten times, and ten times she felt like she learned absolutely nothing about that… soothing to the very core, gentle strength. 

At the dozenth or twentieth or hundredth time— she failed to keep count— she blacked out. 

The complete, pitch-black darkness, and the complete loss of thinking that she thought she had before? 

That was her state **now**.

* * *

鬼 おに 

* * *

Sakura woke up in a place she had never seen before. 

A land where the existence of light was no more. She was completely deprived of sight. With the lack of noise, even the energy of life was utterly absent. It appeared as if she was hanging in the middle of outer space without stars. 

Panicking, she reached her hands outward, only to notice her chubby hands were there in front of her. She peered down, and there was a _glow_ from her tiny figure. 

She made an attempt to walk. She noticed she was strolling across an invisible, seemingly pitch-dark surface. The flooring felt smooth, as though it was made of glass. 

She jumped experimentally.

The inexistence of sound greeted her. 

She heard her own screech, and was slightly relieved. Although, she was still scared— did this mean she was stuck inside this endless expanse of darkness forever?

She felt extremely lonely, and she _yearned_ for those beatings back. 

There was **nothing** except for herself. 

She stumbled and ran forward, far, far, and _far_. She— she could move on her own?

After hours of running, there was a growl from her stomach, which startled her. She halted her steps, clutching her stomach. It felt empty, and even her mind was hungry—

Her _mind_? 

It was _her_ mind, a place where she could mentally retreat to, and a place where she could _escape_. This was all in her head, which meant she could wake up from it. The outside world was far more better, it felt greater than being trapped in a void. She could take the pain, she preferred it even. 

She expected to snap out of it, to wake up from this empty space. 

Sakura had had dreams before, and knew how to wake up from them. It was by doing an extremely harsh action, to force her body forward as she was living through her dream. That tended to jolt her awake, back into reality.

This one… it felt authentic. So much that it was essentially real— and she could treat this mindscape she’s hiding in like a dream to **get out** now. All she had to do—

(A part of her wondered if simply hurting herself would work, since she got so accustomed to pain.)

She jumped forward, hitting the ground with a silent thump. She rolled onto her knees, smacking the ground repeatedly, attempting to shatter the glass in order to fall through.

She gasped, staring at the surface which was beginning to crack under the force of her small hands. 

She slammed it furiously until her hands bled. She kept striking the ground until it broke through— and it _shattered_. She wasn’t prepared for the outcome, screaming in fear as she fell through. 

**_Whoosh._ **

She felt herself falling for a few minutes, but nothing in her vision had changed, only what she was physically feeling.

The gravity pulling her downwards; the free-falling.

She began to fret, questioning whether this was going to last forever, as she was beginning to regret it.

Just when she started to bear doubts, she saw— she wasn’t able to decipher it. 

Sakura was falling through a galaxy. 

Surrounding her were colorful stars, of various distances, in an endless expanse of space. But due to the sheer distances of the stars, being light-years away, she was falling slowly relative to the stars. 

Though unfamiliar with the view, she’s capable of admiring the sights. 

She shook her legs and tried to propel herself, to fly toward that random sparkle, because unlike the utter darkness that was all there was before, at least there was _something_ now to travel towards.

As she struggled to figure out how to do that, to stop herself from going down, she found herself unable to. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she saw what she was being sucked into. 

It was… her brows furrowed. It was _massive_ , she was certain of it— and it was dark. It was a massive black hole in the middle of space. 

**_!!!_ **

Bizarrely, a smaller black hole emerged in front of her. A pale hand seemed to reach out of the smaller, black portal, and _grabbed_ her. 

She had a split second to consider whether to let **it** grab her and pull her into the black hole. 

Realizing she didn’t have any other options, that this was _something_ different, she allowed it to.

The hand pulled her through the mini-black hole. That **_thing_** , that **_creature_** pulled through a black portal that was similar to a baby’s waterslide, only galactic-themed and weird. That creature was flying, and she too was flying alongside it.

That creature was of the same size and stature as her, much paler clone of herself except with horns— and a part of her felt that she wasn’t the original. 

It popped out on the other side of the portal, and she landed on a white, rocky ground. That creature landed somewhere behind her. 

Location-wise, they were standing on the moon’s surface, a white moon. It could have been a different moon from the one that revolved Earth. The dust skies were dark and sprinkled with glittering stars.

“ ** _Don’t leave me!_** ” A feminine voice that sounded like a glitched music, came from behind her. 

Surprised and fascinated, she turned around and peered at the creature. 

It stared back at her. 

She had never seen anything like it. It had pale skin, horns, and was the same height as her. Both of them looked older than they were supposed to.

She was only a few months old, but she was in a three-year-old body herself. One thing was for sure though, this creature was _not_ her, past, present, or future.

The creature had horns that looked like a demon’s, while she had none. It had two devil horns and one unicorn horn. Sickly, pale white skin that was tinted purple, while her skin was a darker ivory, _human_. Long, straight pink hair, while hers was short, still growing. 

It had pure, unnatural and eerie-looking white eyes, as though it were an alien. Somehow more alien than her natural purple-with-black-rings eyes.

All in all, it didn’t look like it was produced out of the human race. While it resembled Sakura, it was a messy caricature of her and was **_not_** her. 

It parted its mouth, revealing teeth sharp like knives, and _grinned_ at her, hungry white eyes eagerly staring at her while its white teeth remained bared.

As if it wanted to devour her.

She changed her assessment about it resembling a messier version of herself; it looked like an evil caricature of her. It was a **_monster_**. 

She was standing on the surface of the moon with a pink haired monster— a monster who tried to _imitate_ her. 

(Was any of this a dream or had it become real? Was this even a dream in the first place?

That might’ve explained why the creature vaguely resembled herself. After all, what were the odds that another alien looked humanoid and similar to her? None so it had to be a dream or all in her head still.)

Sakura opened her mouth.

In her baby babbles, she gurgled, “You're a figment of my imagination, just like this entire...thing. You’re just a part of this fake universe.” She pointed at the little monster before pointing to herself. “You’re a _fake._ ”

The creature gaped and looked offended. It retorted, in a glitched, anxious and desperate voice, “ **I’m not a figment of your imagination, I’m _you_! I’m your inner self!**”

It paused and stared at her. It licked its lips. 

Then, it tackled her and began biting at her skin, making her squawk.

“OWWW! You can’t be _me_ —” Sakura pushed the other creature, the girl with horns, off of her. 

It came onto her again and they rolled rapidly around the moondust. 

Fifteen minutes of roughhousing later, both of them grew bored and exhausted. Laying on their backs, looking up at the stars.

“ **You’re right. I’m not you,** ” The creature beside Sakura concessed, sounding glitchy and sad. “ **I’m still your inner self, but I’m an entirely separate entity living trapped inside of you. I’m an Oni. Just like the kind you hear in legends. Sometimes they’re called yōkai, demons, or ogres. That’s what I am. A monster. You’re… you’re a human.** ” 

Sakura turned her head to face it. 

“Then...” She felt a pang of loneliness, and empathy toward the creature, despite their initial feud. “What’s your name?” 

“ **You can just call me... _Oni._** ” That was its vague reply, and Sakura sensed there were _more_ to that. More about this creature, secrets and riddles it wasn’t disclosing. 

Oni continued. “ **I haven't met my human counterpart ever before. Let's be friends, forever.** ”

Sakura hesitated. 

‘This is all wrong.’ Was her conclusion. It wasn’t the world she knew, and she had been trying to get out for— how many hours? Days? And how would one get out?

She couldn’t _stay_ here forever. 

“How do I leave this place?” Sakura asked, gesturing at the universe surrounding them. 

Oni grinned at her, white eyes ghastly and ghostly and curved with mirth, and seemed to read her mind. “No need to leave, Sakura-chan. We can explore planets and outer space forever!”

_No._

Sakura rolled over and jumped onto her feet, pointing accusingly at Oni. 

“NO!” She **roared** , curling her fists in the fabric of her shirt. “I _know_ what you’re trying to do. If I stay here, I'll die in the real world!” She didn't know that for sure, but that seemed logical. If her consciousness was focused in this realm, wherever this was, then that meant that there was nothing controlling her real body; her body must be asleep right now. 

“My body—” She bit her bottom lip. “—will be in a coma. D-daddy would… _kill_ —” She spilled out the term with terror. “—me, if I never wake up. W-what if he—” She couldn’t finish her sentence. She may be a baby, but she could articulate her thoughts and worst fears in this realm, this mindscape, even if she was vocally incapable in the real world. 

“Don't worry, Sakura-chan!” Oni cackled madly. “We can pause time! One million years in this universe would only be one second in the real world! One billion years. One trillion years! Spend one quadrillion years here in this realm with me, and I'll let you return to the real world for three seconds! After those three seconds, you can come back and repeat the cycle with me, together! We’ll be friends forever. We’ll outlive planets, stars, and galaxies, as they die and rebirth, and we’ll still be here, we’ll just watch.” 

Sakura stared at the creature like it was deranged: “...So you’re not going to help me get out. I guess that leaves me with no choice.” She raised her hands, wrapping them around her neck. “I’ll kill myself and see if that gets me out.” Sakura decided, squeezing it with solid determination. 

“ **DON’T!** ” Oni grabbed her hands, and it began to plead. “Please—” And the strong grip made her uncomfortable. “—no, please… so I won't be alone anymore… please—” Its hands rested on her shoulder. “— _stay._ ” 

Sakura stared at it silently. 

That only seemed to enrage it. 

“Why?” It demanded, full of tears and anger. “Why do you want to leave?! Your _father_ —” It sneered, the title was uttered with absolute disgust. “—in the real world **hates** you! No one loves you on the _other side_. You only have yourself; you only have **me**. I’m the only one who cares about you!”

She couldn’t bear it anymore. It was true that she had no allies, no friends. She only really knew Daddy, and as sick as it was, that was probably why she loved him.

( _She had no other options._ )

Mindlessly, she hugged Oni. Embracing her arms around the demon-like girl, she stroked its silky pink hair, so much more unnatural and magical than her own. The little alien was— a friend, an _ally_. “I won’t leave you,” She promised dearly. 

“I’ll take you with me, out there, when it’s safe.” 

Oni sobbed into her shoulder, as she patted her back. _There, there._

“I don’t want to go out,” Oni finally gathered its courage to say. “It’s dangerous out there. _Why_ not just stay in here?”

Sakura had been preparing her answer. 

“I know you can’t stretch infinity into one second, there’s always a limit; that’s why you even said a quadrillion in here for 3 seconds to pass in the real world. There’s still three seconds that need to pass out there. 

“What if those multitudes of ‘three seconds’ from my real body _run out_ before our multi-trillion years are up?” She questioned its earlier logic, deciding to play along. “What happens if I die in the real world? Would I vanish from this universe, leaving you alone forever?” 

Oni gulped. “...you would.” it answered. “You cannot die in the real world. You **must** find immortality! I can’t be alone again.”

She nodded. “Just bear with it during the moments I’m gone. Wait...you’re in my mind. Is it possible that you can just sit consciously in my mind’s eye, and see what I see? You’re me essentially.” 

“I can, with your permission.” It gasped, as though realizing something. “Earlier, you said you won’t leave me, and that you’d take me out there when it’s safe. You meant this. Does that mean you care about me?”

She nodded. “I do.” She took a step back and looked the Oni up and down. “Right now… Daddy is physically beating me up. It’s not safe for you to share my eyes, senses and thoughts. Wait until afterwards.” 

“...I see,” Oni allowed. Discreetly, it was stirred over the fact that Sakura cared. “Okay, Sakura-chan. I get it. So you need to achieve immortality, then you can spend _true infinity_ with me. Otherwise, it’s only a temporary amount of time, even if it’s 100 quadrillion years. Infinity is an even longer period. I’ll support you. And… regarding your father beating you,” the Oni’s eyes turned red. “ **Kill** him before he kills you.”

She gulped. She didn’t think she would kill daddy, she… _loved_ him.

“I’m sure there’s no need for that,” She replied, then put her hand over the Oni’s shark mouth before it could protest. “If he beats me up again, I’ll come hide here with you, and come out when it’s over.”

Oni pushed her hand off. “Don’t let him beat you up anymore! Get stronger. **Stronger!** Defend yourself _before_ he can lay a hand on you.” 

“Not learn that healing power that woman used to fix me?” Sakura wondered.

“No,” Oni grimaced. “The answer isn’t to just heal yourself after getting bruised. The answer is to _not get hit in the first place_. It’s like with genjutsu; you won’t have to break the genjutsu, if you simply don’t get caught by one in the first place.” 

“Wh— what?”

“That’s too advanced for you right now. You’re still young. Start with the basics. When you return to the real world, just ask...Ask Danzo to hire tutors to teach you how to read and write. That’s going to be the only way you can justify and explain away about how you're improving and learning so fast, without drawing suspicion; you were self-studying. When you come back here and I teach you anything, you tell Danzo you read about it in a book. Or figured it out yourself. He must not find out that I exist.”

“Yes, Oni.” Sakura said. “I'll do that right away. Can I get out now?”

Oni nodded. “The way you leave your mental plane is just to think, and focus hard on something in physical plane. Focus on something in ‘reality.’ Something that’s a greater pull than this mental universe.

“It's just like in real life; if you're stuck in your head, you can distract yourself. So try it!” 

Sakura felt a little confused, but decided to try what Oni suggested. She closed her eyes, and focused this time on what happened before she passed out. 

She focused back into the dojo where she was getting beat up.

_The scent of fresh milk and a baby bottle?_

She focused on that new image that appeared. 

When Sakura opened her eyes, she sees Danzo handing her a bottle of fresh milk.

Sakura smiled evilly, but kept her baby face, and accepted the milk bottle eagerly. 

“Kill Minato!”

Oop.

“Thankchu papa!” Sakura said instead, and drank the milk.

Danzo hummed. “You're learning… since your body is too frail and small to train… you can't even walk… I will make my Root operatives teach you how to read and write.”

Oni purred inside Sakura's mind. _You didn't even need to ask._

Little Sakura gave a tight smile, and beamed up at Danzo. “Thank-chu dadda dandan.” 

In fact, Sakura would study hard, learning to speak, read, and write, over the next few months… with the Oni’s photographic memory and existence to assist her. 

In the future, Sakura would wonder whether or not the universe in her mental plane was modeled after the actual universe in the real world. She would wonder whether she could use it as a map; whether her mindscape was an actual model of the universe or whether she simply just had a big imagination. With no immediate way to find out about space, Sakura would consider getting into astrology and inventing a telescope to find the answer. 

* * *

Summary of this chapter:

* * *

(This Inner Sakura Oni Fanart is Custom-Made for this RinneganSakura story, Sakura's Rinnegan. Art is by TinyDharla.)

Fun Fact / Trivia / Discord Chat: 

  
tiny12/24/2020  
It was in a school..I saw a girl around my age, and also that girl look sad because everyone happy with their family celebrate a graduation and then i came to her and sayin "let's celebrate it together"

So i came to her house, and the house looks so messy..like someone used black magic long time ago and killed her family in that house

And i said, why you ain't clean this mess?   
And she said "I'm scared to touch something here"  
So we just celebrate it with noodles and eat it there

The face and the figure of this girl is sooo clear, but in my real life i never seen this girl before  
Note : i haven't watched any movie or anything this week that can trigger me to have this dream

  
Friend12/24/2020  
If I remember correctly, your dreams pulls faces from people you’ve seen before, whether consciously or subconsciously

  
tiny12/24/2020  
Hmmm probably

  
Me12/24/2020  
Ommmg tiny it's because you drew this art for me.  
Don't worry, it's just a story. You did a good thing helping that friend in the dream xD

  
tiny12/24/2020  
Ahhh probably, that's the last story I've read hahahahhaha

(P.S. Want a discord ping whenever there's a new chapter? Join https://discord.gg/Aj2nVaJ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment after reading. The artist and us writers love your thoughts, feedback or just the fact that you read it! Thank you soooooo much. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and New Year! Stay healthy and be safe.
> 
> (P.S. Big thanks to everyone who commented on the previous chapters; I will reply to *all* soon!)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, thanks for reading. 
> 
> Please comment! We want to know how many people, if any, are reading/following this story. Thanks! Also we have the plotline planned from start to finish already.


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